TWO SERMONS VPON THE XII CHAPTER OF THE EPISTLE TO the Hebrewes the sixteenth and seuenteenth verses PREACHED IN THE CITIE OF LONDON the twelfth day of Iune 1608. By THOMAS HOPKINS Minister at Yeardley in the Countie of Worcester HEBREVVES 13.4 Whoremongers and adulterers God will iudge COLOSS. 3.2 Set your affections on things which are aboue and not on things which are on the earth AT LONDON Imprinted for WILLIAM WELBY dwelling in Pauls Churchyard at the signe of the Greyhound 1609. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL WILLIAM HANCOCK MAYOR THE Worshipfull Iustices and Aldermen his brethren with my Christian countrimen of the Citie of Couentrie be all grace mercie and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Iesus Christ Amen RIght worshipfull and my louing Countrimen hauing some occasion this last summer to trauell vp to the Citie of London and being there I was entreated by a godlie friend to bestow my labours on a Sabbath day in preaching at the Parish Church in which hee dwelled to whom I willingly agreed Whereat there were some contrary to my knowledge or priuitie that tooke the paines to take the notes of the Sermons and before my departure out of the Citie made me acquainted therewithall and shewed them vnto mee and reading part of them I did greatly maruell thereat and worthie was the Author to be commended for his paines and skill hauing neuer seene the like so largely taken by any whatsoeuer for scarce could I finde any word of substance wherein hee failed Here upon certaine of my friends who were hearers thereof laboured with me to commit them to the Presse and in hope I would satisfie their earnest sute sent downe after mee their notes faire copied out to my house which after some paines taken in setting the same in order and some things though not much added for the more plaine opening of that which time preuented me in the preaching I haue sent it vp againe to them to vse at their pleasure The which hauing by Gods helpe finished I doe make bold to dedicate the same to your fauorable view The reasons moouing mee thereunto are speciallie these three The first is because of the experience I haue had of diuers of your godly zealous and sincere loue to the Gospell The second is being bound by nature to leaue it as a testimonie of my vnfained loue to my natiue Citie Thirdly in regard of the vndeserued kindnesse and beneuolences I haue often receiued from you In some liew whereof I thought it a part of my dutie to dedicate these my poore labours vnto you as thereby to manifest my humble thankefulnesse Now if any censorious disposition shall say that these Sermons are too meane to be put in print for this ripe and exquisit age I would wish them to consider that at the building of the Temple as well they were accepted that brought Goates haire and Rammes skinnes as they that brought Silke purple and skarlet But howeuer it be I doe more then hope you will both kindly accept of this from me and entertaine it as a testimonie of my louing affection to you all The God of all comfort multiplie his gratious blessings vpon you all and grant all peace and prosperitie to all those that vnfainedlie loue and seeke the peace of the Church and prosperitie of the Gospell From my house at Yeardly the 20. of December 1608. Your Worships in all Christian duties to be commanded Thomas Hopkins TO THE CHRISTIAN READER CHristian Reader the searcher of all hearts doth know that at the preaching of these Sermons it was farre frō any thought of mine they should euer haue been committed to the Presse to bee set out in print confessing my great inabilitie that way But forasmuch as some of the hearers tooke the paines to gather the notes thereof without either my knowledge or consent and thereupon seeming to haue some liking thereof were earnest with me for my consent to commit them to the print whose godly desire I perceiuing to proceed from a speciall willingnesse to make others partakers of that profit they seemed to haue receiued themselues gaue them my promise if they would copie them faire out and send them downe into the countrie to me I would take some paines in the viewing them ouer and setting them in order and so would send them vp to them againe to vse at their pleasure which they so did and accordingly by the Lords helpe I haue performed to them as my leasure in my charge would permit me Now then if these my simple labours shall bee thought worthie the view of the world I doe humblie entreate thee Christian Reader to beare with me which I know thou wouldest willinglie doe if either thou didst know my weakenes in gifts my small leasure for vndertaking any such worke or speciallie the marke and end I aime at I pray thee construe all in good part and what is amisse for want of skill correct it and if any thing haue ouershot me in ouerzealous carriage impute it to my infirmitie But if there happen any thing that shall worke to humbling for sinne either generall or particular for the land or for thy owne self giue all the praise to God and as I haue endeuoured to benefit thee and others which is the maine end of my labours so doe I entreate thee to assist me with thy prayers vnto God that hee will assist me with his blessed spirit in the worke of my Ministerie And thus hoping I may entreate for a friendlie acceptance at thy hands and to affoord me thy good word for my good will and a fauourable construction for my paines I doe commend it to the blessing of the Almightie and thee to his gratious protection wishing to thee as to myselfe viz. the mercie of God in Iesus Christ December 20. 1608. Thine in the Lord Iesus Thomas Hopkins TWO SERMONS VPON THE XII CHAP. OF THE AVTHOR TO THE HEbrewes the 16. and 17. verses thereof HEBREVVES 12.16.17 Let there bee no fornicator or prophane person as Esau which for one portion of meate sold his birthright For yee know how that afterward when he would haue inherited the blessing hee was reiected For he found no place to repentance though he sought that blessing with teares I Mind not beloued in Christ to stand vpon more circumstances then I take fitting for the opening of my Text. Although to haue shewed you my simple iudgemēt both as touching the occasion the Author the time and the argumēt of this Epistle could not but haue bin profitable for sundrie respects but then must I spend more ◅e then is allowed mee and I feare should abridge you of some things which I am willing to open vnto you Wherefore omitting all these Vers 5. know you that the Author of this Epistle hauing in the former part of this chapter encouraged them patiently to vndergoe the crosse of afflictions assuring them that they were no signes of Gods anger Vers 6. but rather
and all that haue taken the profession of the Gospell vpon them to haue care to frame their liues answerable thereunto And this must bee speciallie three waies The first in their words and speeches which must bee such as may either conuey good to others else draw good from others Secondly in their workes and that not only in their generall places but also in their particular callings whether Magistrate Minister Father Husband Master Seruant c. The third is in their recreations being carefull they vse lawfull things lawfully As you that bee Gentlemen in your bowling shooting hawking hunting which though they bee lawfull recreations yet that you take heed lest you abuse them and not to be mirthmongers making euery day a day of pastime and pleasure Vse 3 A third vse serues to reprooue many who haue taken vpon them the holy profession of Christ Iesus yet in their liues deny the power of it And to come home to this citie and to this place in which are assembled such as make shew of loue to the Gospell Answere me in your consciences where are the signes and tokens of a holy life doe your liues answere your profession is it not with Ioab 1. King 2.28 to murther and then to runne and take hold of the hornes of the altar Nay with the Iewes to sweare Ierem. 7.9.10 lie steale commit adulterie c. and to come and stand in this house before me saith the Lord no more will the Lord allow either of your Bibles vnder your armes or your prayers in your families nor your running after Sermons if your liues be not reformed In the ciuill law it is well knowne a long protestation will not releeue a theefe if he be tainted and proued guiltie of the fact no more will your protestations and faire speeches releeue you when your shops your counting houses your houses your chambers wil condemne you For I appeale this day to many of you that heare me whether the Lord may not truely say to you as hee said by the mouth of his Prophet Micah Micah 6.10 Are yet the treasures of wickednesse in the house of the wicked and the scant measure that is abominable So say I to thee are the treasures of wickednesse in thy house Is the pooremans pledge his bed his gowne his axe his spade his coate in thy house liuest thou by briberie extortion oppression false weights in thy shop false ballance in thy warehouse and darest thou take on thee the holie profession of the Gospell I tell thee all thy prayers almes hearing of the word receiuing the Sacraments are abhorred of God In the time of the Law none might offer the blood of a dog or a swine yet were they both like the blood of a lambe and though the one was accepted yet the other was abhorred So let all thy outward profession seeme neuer so holy yet not ioyned with a holy conuersation God detests it How may the Lord complaine against this citie as he did against Samaria Come to Bethel and transgresse Amos 4.4.5 to Gilgal and multiplie transgressions and bring your sacrifices in the morning and your Tithes after three yeeres And for a thanksgiuing of leauen publish proclaime the free offerings for this liketh you O yee children of Israel saith the Lord. In which he taxeth them for that after many sinnes committed they would come in the morning on their Sabbath daies and bring an offering or a tithe and offer it vp and then think God was well pleased So how manie in this Citie all the weeke long spend it in swearing lying oppression c. and then on the Lords day come to Church in the morning and heare a Sermon make a shew of louing holy exercises Oh this likes them well but this likes not the Lord for he accounts them hypocrites and dissemblers Yea these are they that do more hurt to religion and professors with their running after Preachers with their carrying of Bibles with their holy protestations and their liues odious then the common drunkard whoremonger vsurer c. There is nothing more odious in Gods sight then that man that caries the lampe of profession and denieth and disgraceth it by an vnholy life I end this point with the saying of our Sauiour to his Disciples and in them to all that take on them the profession of his name Matth. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father that is in heauen And so much for the generall doctrine drawne from the Apostles dealing with the Hebrewes Now it followes according as it is in the Text. Let there bee no fornicatour You heard before that these words containe a dehortation from such vices as he knew would bring a scandall to the Gospell whereof he sets downe two speciall sinnes The first is here fornication The reasons wherefore he sets this downe were before shewed vnto vs. As also we heard why he sets downe this sinne rather then the sinne of adultery being a sinne of an higher degree Then it resteth we gather what we learne hence which is in that he labors to dehort or draw them from this sinne of fornication we learne that amongst other sinnes all that liue in the Church of God and sincerely professe the Gospell of Iesus Christ must labour by all meanes to shun and auoide the sinne of fornication adulterie incest whoredome and all of that kind It is too true that many professing the Gospel make a light account of fornicatiō oh they take it but a trick of youth And it may bee one reason of the Apostles dehorting or drawing them from this sinne being of like account amongst them But howsoeuer they or we make light account of it yet the holy Ghost accounts it a grieuous sin especially amongst such as professe the Gospell For he speakes not to Atheists but to Christians and such as had taken on them the profession of Christ Iesus his Gospel So I knowing that I preach to such as professe Christ and outwardly make a shew of louing both him and his word dehort and draw you from the sinne of fornication being no small or light sin but an odious and grieuous sinne I tell you a man or woman that haue giuen their names to Christ and laid their hands to the plow of the Gospell and yet liue in fornication or adulterie c. do liue in a wofull and fearefull estate And that this sin is a great sin specially of professors we may see by the words of the Apostle to the Corinthians who saith Be not deceiued 1. Cor. 6.9 neither fornicators nor idolators nor adulterers nor wantons nor buggerers nor theeues nor couetous nor drunkards nor railers nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdome of God Where the Apostle amongst the rascall row of capitall Sinnes placeth fornication as a master-sin and ringleader to other sins and bids them not to be deceiued for as light
labour to be religious and bring vp their children in holy exercises Prou. 22.6 Therefore Salomon cries out so often to parents teach thy sonne instruct thy sonne Now how can they doe this which cannot teach themselues You cannot do greater iniurie to your children or be greater enemies to them thē to liue prophane liues Better is the sonne of the veriest begger in your City being both religious then the son of the wealthiest man in your Citie being both prophane for if thou bee irreligious thou hast done as much as lieth in thee to beget an helhound and it must be a supernaturall worke of God to alter the nature of the same To you godly parents that loue religion and hate prophanenes Art a rich man and trainest vp thy son in religion Bee of comfort whilest thou liuest thou shalt haue ioy and when thou diest thou shalt leaue them to one that is like long to enioy them Art a poore man art religious fearing God and walking sincerely and vprightly in thy calling hast many children and nothing to leaue them Be of good comfort thou shalt leaue them the blessing of God I know it is hard for many to beleeue this Psalm 12◠3.4 but the holy Ghost hath spoken it and left it for vs to beleeue Againe to thee that hast gotten great store of gold goods lands liuings Art a prophane man thou maist liue with sorrow enough and die thou shalt with a wofull heart Doest thinke those goods and riches thou hast scraped together with vexing the bodie and venturing the soule to the diuell shall long bee enioyed When was there euer any rich man or where is any that can come out and say he euer saw the fourth generation of a prophane man prosper No no the Lord will curse them and blow vpon them they shall not prosper It is religion must bring the blessing of God vpon them and their posteritie Againe you that are children pray pray daily to the Lord to work religious hearts in your Parents and reioyce and be glad to see your fathers giue thanks before meales and downe vpon their knees to prayer before they goe to their beds for this will turne to blessings vpon you if you bee carefull to follow their steppes and though thy father die a begger yet assure thy selfe he shall leaue thee the blessing of the Lord. Psalm 37.25 I haue been young saith Dauid and now am old yet saw I neuer the righteous forsaken nor his seede begging their bread not meaning that it was impossible that a righteous mans child should goe a begging but that it is a thing that is verie rare and that hee was now forescore yeeres of age yet hee did neuer in all his life see it And so haue many men liued till they haue been of great yeeres yet haue they seldome or not at all seene any such thing come to passe Lastlie to such others as know they shall haue great possessions left them by prophane parents and such as preferre their treasure their pleasure and earthlie things before any spirituall duties to God as experience in many you shall neuer see them carefull to giue thanks at their meales neuer are vpon their knees in prayer in their families but are swearers prophaners of the Lords Sabbath vsurers drunkards and let them tremble to be heires to such wretches For if it please not God to worke supernaturallie on thee thou maist not onely curse the day that euer thou wast begotten of them but God shortlie will sweepe either thee or thine away with the besome of his wrath And once againe I exhort all you that be parents labour to bee religious and to bring vp your children in godly education else you may feare that your bones shall not be so soone rotten as the Lord will rot and roote out your posteritie and name from vnder heauen Text. v. 17. For ye know how that afterward also when he would haue inherited the blessing he was reiected And now come wee to the third point which is to the punishment which as you heard is threefold The first is a certaine griefe and shame that he had left and sold his birthright away Secondlie how he would faine haue had it againe shewing outward signes of repentance and labours to recouer it but all in vaine The third is that hauing wilfully lost the time of grace he procured a perpetuall deniall of mercie For the first Esan hauing thought hee had made a good exchange with his brother yet at length comes to see the losse and it shames him and wounds him in his conscience that for so base a price he had parted with his birthright but all too late Doct. 6 Where we may obserue howsoeuer prophane men doe muffle vp their consciences and take it a good exchange to part lightlie away with spirituall blessings for temporall pleasures yet a day will come they shall see their losse and it shall vexe and torment them in their consciences they had no better grace but to part with them at so low a rate Gen. 25.34 As example of this castaway who at the first comming from his hunting and hauing sold his brother his birthright yea partly in contempt it is said hee rose merilie as one that had thought hee had made a good exchange Gen. 27.34 but afterwards when hee perceiued his losse in comming to his father in hope of a blessing and that his father told him he had blessed Iacob and he must bee blessed then hee cries out Oh blesse mee also father blesse mee as if hee should haue said I hope his subtiltie shall not disinherit me Alas I had but a messe of pottage in my neede and must I lose birthright and blessing and all Thus this wofull wretch comes to see his losse which before he made so light account of Now his conscience wounds him Now the curse of God pulles away the scale of his conscience and hee sees his follie The like example we haue of Baalam Numb 23.10 who though hee had liued a couetous wretch and had lightly regarded the way of righteousnes yet in the end he wisheth to die the death of the righteous Euen so many at this day they spend their time in the vanitie of the world contemning the call and offer of the Lord neglecting and despising many holy meetings many sermons many sacraments for to gaine a little pleasure ease and profit accounting such but fooles that run to Sermons But let such know the Lord will vncrust that conscience of theirs and then they shall curse their pleasures their profits their walking in the fields that were meanes to draw them away from our assemblies in the congregation then will they be ready to curse themselues they had no better grace they could not see their follies but to preferre their couetousnesse drunkennesse whordome vsurie pastimes plaies c. before the heauenly way of saluation Matth. 26.15 Iudas thought he had sped wel
in their liues as talke of it with their mouthes And this the Apostle Peter labours to exhort those he wrote vnto 2. Pet. 1.5 that with the knowledge of faith in the Gospel they would ioyne vertue by which he meanes holines of life exhorting the they that beleeue wel should liue wel that so their liues might beautifie their profession It seemes diuers of the Church sent to Paul to know his iudgement touching such seruants as were conuerted to the Gospell how they should behaue themselues to their Infidell masters 1. Tim. 6.1 To this he sends an answere to Timothy commanding that being bound to thē they should not depart or vse them vnconscionablie but rather to be more carefull in their seruice and to vse diligence and faithfulnesse to them that so the name of God and his Gospell be not euill spoken of A good lesson for such seruants in this citie as professe the Gospell and serue irreligious masters not hereby to take a liberty to be idle carelesse and false in word and deede but so much the rather to be the more careful in their seruice lest they giue their Masters occasion to speake euill of the name of God and his Gospell Now if seruants must be thus carefull towards their masters that be Atheists how much more then should euery one that hath giuen his hand and name to the Gospell be carefull who hath many to ouerlooke him and would be glad to take a small occasion to discredit his profession There are many reasons may be added to presse this doctrine the more vpon our consciences but I will content my selfe with these three Reas 1 The first reason is because a holie life ioyned to an holy profession will gaine credit in the consciences of Gods people Yea 1. Pet. 2.12 it will gaine credit also in the consciences of such as be yet vncalled To which end the Apostle exhorts them to haue their conuersation honest among the Gentiles that they which speake euill of them as of euill doers may by their good workes which they shall see glorifie God in the day of visitation By which all you that be Fathers Mothers Masters and Mistresses are exhorted though you haue vntoward sonnes vnfaithfull seruants lyers swearers yea such as scorne at your comming to Sermons and vse of holy exercises in your families as giuing thanks at meales prayers reading of Chapters c. yet should your carriage in your liues be such as that they seeing your Christian behauiour in your shops in your words in your dealings c. may haue cause to praise God Yea if euer the Lord call and conuert them they shall praise God that they euer dwelt in such a family and that euer they came within thy dores The experience hereof God hath shewed dailie amongst vs of many who in their seruice were deriders of holy duties and stopped their eares at the instructions of their gouernours yet the Lord hauing opened their eares and softned their hearts by his word and spirit they haue so praised God for his mercie to them that their parents by whom they were begotten and borne haue not been so deare to them in their hearts as their Master and mistresse in whose Christian familie they were conuerted Reas 2 The second reason is because it will gaine credit to our profession The contrarie opens the mouthes of Atheists to slander and discredit the same One prophane Gospeller doth more harme in the Church then an hundred Atheists Wherefore saith the Preacher Eccles 10.3 Dead flies cause to stinke and putrisie the ointment Yea one dead flie will putrifie a whole boxe of ointmēt where as a thousand falling into a barrell of pitch will do no such harme So the Gospell is so pretious a thing that the euill example of one professor doth more harme to it then the example of many Athiests a thousand drunken companions neuer discredit the Gospell so much as one that professeth well and liueth ill For is it not a thing common amongst vs that when men see a professor commit any sinne yea though of infirmity and of weakenesse with no purpose to liue in it doe but marke how they presently labour to discredit not so much the person of the man as his profession For are not these their verie words See these are our professours and holy men hee is wise that will beleeue what they say here is a profession indeed Yea they wil not sticke to curse the very Booke of God and blaspheme his Gospell Therefore if you will be professors looke to your shops your families your counting houses your weights and measures else if you bee faultie in these you will bring more discredit to religion then euer you did good with your outward profession Reas 3 The third reason is because by your ioyning an holy life to a holy profession it wil gaine comfort to your conscience especially in the time of the departure out of this world Esay 38.3 An example wee haue of Ezekias who hauing receiued the message of death is said to turne to the wall and to put the Lord in mind of the integritie of his life wherein he tooke great comfort Yea it will put a man in more comfort then all the treasures of this world For what consolation can a man take in worldly things when he is priuie that hee doth lead a vicious wicked life and is in danger of Gods wrath Vse 1 Now let vs see what vses we are to make of this doctrine And first it may stop the mouthes of our aduersaries the Papists who falselie charge vs that wee teach doctrines of libertie to sin and that the sum of our doctrines is that so a man beleeue in Christ it is no matter how he liues And beloued I appeale to your owne consciences how true this is when wee teach that an outward profession seeme it neuer so sanctified without a holy life is odious in Gods sight And we returne the doctrine of libertie vpon themselues For be Iudge men and brethren in Christ whether this bee not a doctrine of licenciousnes to teach that ignorance is the mother of deuotion that their holie father may dispense with any sinne be it neuer so great and heinous that allow the Stewes euen at their Popes nose for the nourishing of whoredome Yea they teach that all their veniall sinnes as they terme them are put away and forgiuen by knocking themselues on the breast and by saying God haue mercie vpon me c. If this were true and this libertie granted to sinne who would make conscience to commit sinne But let vs know that these are doctrines of diuels and hee that hath not care to ioyne an holie life to an holie beleefe Mat. 22.12.13 shall one day with the man wanting the wedding garment be cast into vtter darkenesse where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Vse 2 A second vse of this doctrine serues to teach vs that be present
whē he had gotten thirtie pence for a kisse but when hee came to see that he had sold his saluation for mony he was so wounded in his conscience Mar. 27.34.5 that hee could not rest till hee had bought a halter and hanged himselfe And so will bee the state of all prophane men when the crust of their conscience is remooued and they come to see their wofull change Prou. 6.33 they shall find as the holy Ghost faith in the case of adulterers he shall find a wound in his soule that without repentance shall neuer be put out The reasons hereof are Reas 1 First because the noblest parts of their soules are drowned their iudgements their minds their willes and affections all which time their conscience lies asleepe But when God either by his word or iudgements awakes them their conscience starts vp and flies in their faces and they say to their sinne 1. King 21.20 as Ahab said to Eliah Hast thou found me O thou mine enemie And so howeuer men can so lightlie sell away Gods blessings at so base a rate yet the sinne of prophanenesse will find them out in the end Reas 2 A second reason hereof is Iudg. 17. because hereby God will haue thē to iustifie him in his iudgements and say with Adonibezek that God hath iustly rewarded thē for their prophanenesse And how doth this daily fall out in many who in time of Gods hand on them crie out vpon the losse of time that they had no better grace then to sell away their soules for pleasure idlenesse pastime and vanitie Yea is it not the crie of all condemned persons vpon the gallowes to crie out of their graceles prophaning the Lords Sabbath Psalm 51.4 Thus will the Lord be iust when he speakes and pure when he iudgeth So that howeuer prophane men flatter themselues in their owne eies yea and pleade for their sinne Psalm 36.2 yet as the holy Ghost saith their iniquitie wil find them out And though they thinke that monie well gained and that time well spent that is gotten with the losse of godly exercises yet shall they come one day to iustifie the Lord when their prophanenesse shall find them out Let vs come to the vses to be made hence Vse 1 And first it serues for a terror to those that doe burie their soules in the things of this life as it is to be feared too many doe in this Citie who like Esau yea worse than Esau sell away in contempt many godly exercises on this day at a lower and baser rate than he solde his birth right he had some thing but they nothing but a little pleasure that God knoweth soone vanisheth away Iudas solde his Master for thirtie pence but there are many thirties in this Citie that will sell thirtie Sermons for lesse than thirtie pence Let vs come to a more neare examination of our selues and trie how guiltie wee are herein And this will appeare more plaine by setting down such things as laide open Esaus contempt of his birthright The first was his willingnesse to part from it and to bee without it hee neuer stood long debating the matter with his brother but well content to depart with it And so at this day amongst vs how many are there that willingly cheerefully can be content to be without the preaching of the word and shroud themselues where it is wanting how it stands with you be Iudge your selues But I know in diuers places of the Countrie many of our Gentlemen can well bee content to put vp with quarter sermons yea to starue their soules and commit the keeping of them to those who be more fitter for a beetle and a wedge then for any office in the Ministerie yea further they thinke too great a paines and too much toile to ride but two miles on the Lords day for the food of their soules when the same men cannot bee content vnlesse they haue two or three meales the same day for the pampering of their bodies let such know herein he shewes himselfe a prophane man The second thing Esau shewed his contempt in was his parting with it at so base a price For was it euer read of any the sold such a pretious treasure at so low a rate which was as before you haue heard the inheritance of his father Isaac and grandfather Abraham yea the holy and faithfull promises of God chiefly the kingdome of heauen and all for a messe of pottage We do greatlie wonder at this and no maruell Yet there are amongst vs that sell away the couenant and promises made to them in Iesus Christ at a lesse rate then a messe of pottage which they doe account a trifle And what canst thou make of thy pleasure pastime walking in the fields idlenesse sleeping and I tell thee they are farre worse then pottage in respect of heauenly things Is not this a wonderfull thing that men created after the image of God and specially to aduance his honor should no more esteeme of the precious pearles offered to them out of the Gospell then swine doe of Iewels like the Gadarens that esteeme more of their pigges then preaching And like little children that esteeme more their rattles and bables then they doe a bagge of gold As euen experience shewes in many in this your Citie that can walke in the streetes and by the Church doores and see the Preacher in the Pulpit yet in contempt can passe by preferring some worldlie matters before the pearle of the Gospell Obiect It may be some may obiect and say If they doe they be honest men they goe I warrant you about no vnhonest action Answ To which I answere Say they bee so and say they doe not So I may say that Esaus eating of his pottage was in it selfe no vnhonest or vnlawful act yet if with Esau they doe in their hearts preferre their walking or their busines before these holy meetings it argues their contempt to Gods ordinance and spots them with prophanenes The third thing wherein he shewed his contempt was the addition he made in parting with it which was that vpon the demand of Iacob his brother to him for it Why saies he Loe I am almost dead what is then this birthright to mee How like to this in effect are the speeches of many of our swaggerers at this day Come say they let vs bee merrie whilest wee may Sorrow hang sorrow when wee bee dead all the world is dead with vs. Another sort in seeing Christians out of an honest heart goe to the Church to heare the word which is the food of their soules let them take their Sermons to themselues and the diuell giue them good of them for I will haue my pleasure in despight of their hearts and I will take the time whilest I may But God will one day waken the consciences of such prophane men and it will wound and grieue them at their hearts that they had